What if
John Constantine was a London cop? Or better yet, what if Det. Jack Regan dealt
only with demons and other dread supernatural beings? Then you’d pretty much
have Absalom, a collection of yarns
from England’s 2000 AD magazine that
reads very much like Hellblazer meets
The Sweeney (the classic TV series,
not the shitty recent movie). It’s kinda fun but evaporates like slightly old
candy floss as you read it. Fun though.

3. Museum
Of Terror Vol. 3 by Junji Ito (Dark Horse, 2006) *****

Freaked
the fuck out by Junji Ito. Find out why at jackkingkirby.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/review-museum-of-terror-vol-3-by-junji.html

4. Superboy’s
Legion #1 (DC, 2001) ***½

Writer:
Mark Farmer/Artists: Alan Davis & Mark Farmer

An
interesting Elseworlds yarn where
Superboy wakes up n the year 3000 and starts his own Legion of Super-Heroes.
The concept’s fun, the art is cool, but the dialogue kinda sucks. As a writer,
Farmer makes a great inker. Still, I’ll have to track down part two now to see
how it ends.

5. 2001:
A Space Odyssey #1 (Marvel, 1976) **½

Writer:
Jack Kirby/Artists: Jack Kirby & Mike Royer

Hey,
it’s Kirby and the art is sensational. But what the hell is this yarn about?
Only six years after Kubrick baffled viewers with the film, Kirby proves to be
as confusing as the great director. A curiosity piece this comic.

6.-11. Sparta
U.S.A. #1-6 (Wildstorm, 2010) **

Writer:
David Lapham/Artist Johnny Timmons

Lapham
is one of the most overrated writers in comics today. This wacky fantasy/horror
yarn about a gridiron-obsessed small town that also believes in killing your
neighbours to get ahead in life blows its wad early and rapidly goes downhill.
The Yetis are bad enough, as are the WW2 Nazis who invade the town...but the arch-villain
in the piece is...The Pied Piper of Hamlyn? Give me a fucking break. Oh...and
Timmons’ art actually deteriorates the further into the series he gets. Maybe
he was mentally throwing his hands up and thinking, “I can’t illustrate this
tosh. It’s rubbish!”

12.-15. Batman
Year 100 #1-4 (DC, 2006) ***½

Writer/artist: Paul Pope

Why is
Batman still alive 100 years in the future? Who cares...Paul Pope is drawing
Batman.

How has
Batman become a forgotten, untraceable bogeyman in the space of 30-odd years?
Who cares...Paul Pope is drawing Batman.

Why has
a Communist dictatorship taken over Gotham City so utterly and completely? Who
cares...Paul Pope is drawing Batman.

Why is
Batman investigating one particular murder that brings him to the attention of
the government after being in hiding for no discernible reason? Who
cares...Paul Pope is drawing Batman.

Thankfully,
Pope does a beautiful job, even if the story is full of holes.

16.-18. Nowhere
Men #3-5 (Image, 2013) ***¾

Writer:
Eric Stephenson/Artist: Nate Bellegarde

A world
where science is sexy and scientists are feted like rock gods? I kinda dig that
concept.

Starlord
might mean something now he’s the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but he
really was a forgettable Marvel sci-fi character in the 70s. This reprint only
emphasises the character’s lame origin and makes you wonder WHY he was picked
for revival 30 years later.

Another
old comic reprinted to cash in on RR’s forthcoming big-screen fame in the new
Guardians of the Galaxy movie. The miniseries is okay, but Mantlo’s writing
style was old-fashioned even in the mid-80s.

A
really promising idea – a third-string supervillain on the run after his
involvement in the murder of the Martian Manhunter – degenerates pretty quickly
into just another big ol’ punch-up between him (after gaining more bad-ass
powers from ex-Doom Patrol nemesis General Immortus) and the JLA. A flawed
miniseries that could’ve been so much better after a really solid first issue.

50. Tom
Strong And The Planet Of Peril #1 (Vertigo, 2013) ***½

Writer:
Peter Hogan/Artists: Chris Sprouse & Karl Story

51. Captain Midnight #1 (Dark Horse, 2013)
**½

Writer:
Joshua Williamson/Artist: Fernando Dagnino

Yawn.

52. The Blackest Terror #1 (Moonstone, 2011)
DUD

Writer:
Eric M. Esquivel/Artist: Ander Sarabia

A
reimagining of public domain superhero Black Terror sees him turned into an
Afro-American urban vigilante. A promising idea, but Esquivel is too busy
ranting and raving about black politics to make anyone – particularly your
average comic book reader – care about the character. Weirdly, he focuses much
of his contempt and hatred towards “Uncle Tom” weatherman Al Roker. Sarabia’s
art shows cartoony promise, but this angry tale is way too preachy for my
tastes. Take a chill pill, Eric.

Overpriced
and published far too rarely, but this is easily the most beautiful, haunting
comic I’ve read this year.

59.-62. The
Cape #1-4 (IDW, 2011) *****

Writer:
Jason Ciaramella/Artist: Zach Howard

Based
on the short story by Joe Hill, this yarn about a slacker son turned psychotic
killer supervillain by a childhood “blankie” is suitably disturbing, violent
and creepy. A perfect horror tale.

63.-66. The
Cape: 1969 #1-4 (IDW, 2012) **½

Writer:
Jason Ciaramella/Artists: Nelson Daniel; Zach Howard

“Inspired”
by Joe Hill’s short story, eh? Not sure how as Ciaramella fucks up big-time
here. To be fair, if the writer was just doing a terrifying, Vietnam War-based
miniseries I wouldn’t mind so much. But he’s grounded it in The Cape’s mythology and the biggest
problem I have is the fact that the prequel is set in 1969. That means The Cape must be set roughly 20 years
later...in 1989. However, the original series is obviously set in 2013
(everyone has tiny fucking mobile phones). At a pinch, I’ll be lenient and say
it COULD be set in the late 90s (even if the phones ARE too small, but there’s
a Nine Inch Nails poster on somebody’s wall). However, it’s definitely not set
in the 80s. Why Ciaramella set The Cape:
1969 in an era that undermines the original series is beyond me.

I ummed
and erred over buying this miniseries for years, but I’m glad I did. Ellis
deconstructs the 1930s aviator/space adventure pulp sub-genre and gives us
something very grim and post-modern in this alternate future yarn. I wish he’d
do a sequel.